The End of Clarity
by Illogical1
Summary: A small character study of Steve's feelings after loosing Peggy in Civil War.


**AN: Hello beautiful readers, this is just a little one shot that I did in between study sessions. I've always thought that the song Clarity by Zedd was perfect for Steve and Peggy, so I wrote this.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The End of Clarity

Steve couldn't believe this. After all he'd done, after all he'd given of himself, the U.N. decided it wasn't enough. Steve had never been comfortable with too much government control; whether that be because of his upbringing in the 20's and 30's where the government had little means to have total control or because of his continuous battle with Hydra. But now, the U.N. was one step away from that control and Tony of all people was backing them. _Tony._

A soft buzz from his phone interrupted Steve from page 138 of the Accords while his friends continued to argue about it around him. Steve pulled his phone out from his pocket and the five little words on the screen crushed him.

 _She's gone. In her sleep._

His vision blurred and he could hear his breath rattling in his lungs like they would have if he could still suffer from asthma attacks. Not now. He couldn't deal with this now. He wasn't ready to let her go. He-

"I have to go." Steve announced before tossing the Accords away and stumbling out of the room and halfway down the stairs before he broke down completely. He wasn't sure how long he was there, but when he came back to himself, he was slumped in a sad heap on the floor and Sam was quietly sitting to his right.

"I'll go with you if you need me to." Sam offered silently.

"What?" was all Steve could manage.

"To her funeral." Sam explained.

Steve could almost muster up a smile. "Thanks Sam."

X-X-X

The funeral was beautiful. So many people had come to pay their respects to Peggy. So many had loved her. Steve chocked back a sob as he helped carry Peggy's casket to the podium. Sharon's eulogy was sweet, if a bit of a shock. Steve had honestly zoned out at some point. When the service concluded, a handful of people began to approach him as if to share their condolences, but a familiar red-head steered them all a way. Sam, realizing that Steve needed a few minutes, went to help Nat clear the church.

Once he was alone, Steve stood up shakily and approached Peggy's shrine. Not for the first time, he kicked himself for not getting his act together while he had the chance. There were so many promises between them. After the war, they were going to go dancing, go to Coney Island, and maybe, if Steve was lucky enough, have a life together. Obviously, Lady Luck was not on Steve Rogers' side.

"Hey Peg." Words ran through his head, but Steve had no idea what to say. It wasn't as if she could hear him anymore anyhow, but Steve wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not yet. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Everything's falling apart."

Steve squeezed his eyes shut, but the tears still managed to trickle out. "You always knew what to say. Even after I came back, you were always my Clarity." His voice broke on the last word and he gave up all together on speech. Instead, he settled on silently crying. After an hour, Steve dried his tears and went to leave the church. Natasha met him halfway down the rows of pews.

"When I came out of the ice, everyone I knew was gone. When I found out she was alive, I guess I was just lucky to have her." It felt good to get some of the pain off his chest.

"She had you back too." Nat replied.

X-X-X

The fight was over. Bucky was back in cryo and Steve was alone. His team was locked up in an underwater prison and Nat was who knows where. Steve was going to get them out and contact Natasha with T'Challa's help, but first he had a visit to pay.

It was slightly chilly and the overcast wasn't helping much, but that was normal for London in the Spring. Steve stood in front of the freshly dug grave. The flowers, only a week old, were already starting to droop. Steve knew that it wasn't safe to linger here long, but he wanted one last chance to say goodbye.

"I miss you Peg. And I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for seventy years, but you know, I was always late." Steve tried to joke. He wasn't sure if it did any good. "I love you, Peggy. You'll always be my best girl."

As he spoke, Steve bent down to lay a single rose on her grave. After casting one last glance at her tombstone, Steve turned and walked away, the rain beginning to pour down onto his shoulders as he went.

 _"Goodbye my darling."_

 ** _End_**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**


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